Top Three Videos – March 22, 2024

Historical and philosophical foundations of the Second Amendment

• Explaining the philosophical and ideological foundations behind the Second Amendment is essential for non-Americans to understand the principles behind private ownership and decentralized ownership of weapons.
• The idea of state and local militias was to offer protection from an excessively powerful and aggressive central government.
• The Second Amendment was incorporated to ensure that the central government is not able to easily overwhelm the member states in terms of military power.
• Patrick Henry rejects the idea that assembling the people can solve the problem, emphasizing the need for arms to defend against tyranny.
• The regular army could be used as an instrument of oppression, and service in the militia was a right of the citizen that could not be transgressed by the federal government.
• The modern image of militias as malcontents plotting revolution is not necessarily accurate, as they were funded by establishment figures like mayors, state legislators, and local business leaders.
• The fundamental idea behind the second amendment was about decentralizing the coercive power of the state, controlled only by the state and locals and outside the reach of the federal government.

   

Challenges and controversies surrounding state militias and federal government control

• The idea of the federal government providing training and funding for State militias was seen as unacceptable, as it would result in the militias working for the federal government.
• The governor of Connecticut refused to comply with a requisition from the Secretary of War, backed up by the State Assembly, stating it was oppressive and inconsistent with the principles of the Constitution.
• Attempts to control State troops have historically failed due to the Pentagon’s threats of job loss, withdrawal of funds, and political repercussions.